Luminaires utilizing high intensity discharge lamps generally comprise a housing containing a power module supporting ballast components and an optics compartment which includes a socket for accommodating the lamp. It is necessary to interconnect the ballast components in the power module and connect the module to the lamp and to the AC supply. In order to allow the power module to be removed from the luminaire housing for changeouts, that is for testing and replacement if necessary, the connections between the module and the optics portion or the housing must be separable. A variety of terminal strips and connectors have been used for this purpose in the past.
Some high intensity discharge lamps utilizing metal vapors as the discharge medium require a starting voltage much higher than the operating voltage and this is particularly so with high pressure sodium vapor lamps. For such lamps so-called starting aids are available which are combined with otherwise conventional ballasts to generate a series of high frequency pulses which initiate the breakdown in the lamp. The common approach in regards to starting aids up to the present has been to attach the components to a flat board or to a printed circuit board. A suitable bracket is used to mount the board within the luminaire and individual connectors are used to make the necessary interconnections. Should a changeout be needed, one must dismount the board and mount another, and of course first separate and then reattach the connectors. All this entails considerable labor in the manufacturing assembly and makes changeouts for testing or replacement inconvenient.